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BRUSSELS, Dec 1: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed with his counterparts in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) on Monday the possibility of expanding the Alliance’s role in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where Washington is seeking to ease the pressure on its own forces.
Officials said Nato defence ministers discussed a larger role in Iraq from next year, as the US seeks more international troops for what is turning into a prolonged and dangerous mission after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
“The US .. is open to an expanded Nato role in both countries,” Mr Rumsfeld told reporters after the first day of talks in Brussels.
In Afghanistan, he said that, if current plans to expand the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) beyond Kabul, “we also discussed the possibility that Nato might take over military operations in Afghanistan”.
Mr Rumsfeld first floated the idea of Nato eventually assuming responsibility for Afghanistan on Sunday, and his call was taken up by others on Monday.
“A number of ministers said Nato now needs to link up, if you will, with Operation Enduring Freedom, the US-led coalition in Afghanistan,” a senior US official told reporters here.
“Iraq came up in the lunch discussion as well,” the official said, noting that Nato Secretary General George Robertson made the point that 18 of 26 current or future Nato members now have troops in Iraq.
“A couple of ministers said Nato should now consider, and Robertson said this as well, in the course of 2004, a greater collective role,” he said.
The official said two ministers suggested that Nato take over the command of one of the two multinational divisions in Iraq.
Nato’s Robertson, due to leave office at the end of this month, confirmed that the Alliance may take steps next year to boost its role in Iraq.
“It’s possible that in the new year .. something may be tabled in relation to Iraq,” he said.
TROOP PLEDGE: The official said a number of countries pledged additional troops for Afghanistan.
Nato officials also were close to filling shortfalls in helicopters, intelligence forces and other resources required for the ISAF mission in Kabul, the official said.
Despite its commitment to expand the 5,700-strong ISAF beyond the Afghan capital, Nato has had difficulty in getting allies to meet the military requirements of a mission that is limited to Kabul, much less a broader one.
Mr Rumsfeld said he was confident that Nato would secure the extra resources needed.
“My estimate is that within a reasonable period of time (Robertson) will be able to encourage .. Nato nations to provide the forces necessary to fulfil the ISAF mission,” he said.
He declined to predict when such a transfer of command may take place. “It’s some distance out. I wouldn’t want to put a timeframe on it. That sets a hurdle that doesn’t need to be set,” he said.
Mr Robertson said that on the first day of the two-day Brussels meeting he had already secured pledges of six extra helicopters. “I call that great progress and well on the way to plugging the shortfall. And I will be keeping up the pressure for the rest of the time.”
The US military leads a separate 11,500-strong force to combat guerillas in Afghanistan.
Nato’s current plans call for extending ISAF’s presence to other parts of the country with the deployment of additional provincial reconstruction teams, which are designed to strengthen the central government’s control over areas now controlled by local warlords. —AFP
